Joan Brown

Notes:

Daughter of Melburn Herbert "Bill" and Hazel (Carmichael) Brown.

Obituary:
Joan Hollier Bernard
(November 24, 1927 - October 3, 2008)
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 10:00 a.m., at a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Therese Catholic Church, Abbeville, Louisiana for Joan "Jody" Brown Hollier Bernard, 80 who passed away Friday, October 3, 2008 at her residence in Abbeville. Internment will take place at St. Paul Cemetery following the mass. Joan completed the teacher training course at Southwestern Louisiana Institute and was graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in May, 1951. Her first teaching assignment was to the LeBlanc School in September of 1951 as fifth and sixth grade teacher. She transferred to East Abbeville Elementary in 1958 and remained there as sixth grade teacher for ten years. In August, 1968 she was appointed to the central office staff as a Master Teacher. Three years later, she was appointed Intermediate Elementary Supervisor of grades four, five and six. Her contributions to the community and to education have spanned more than five decades of service. Joan was President of the Vermilion Parish Teacher's Association in 1972 and President of Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma during the 1980- 1982 biennium. She was President of Madame et Mademoiselle, the Wesleyan Service Guild of the Abbeville Methodist Church, and a charter member of the Vermilion School Employee Credit Union. Joan was also a district representative on the Elementary Commission of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. She served as a consultant to schools seeking accreditation in the parishes of Acadia, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, and St. Martin. Joan was a member of the Louisiana Association of School Executives and a past state officer of the Louisiana School Supervisors' Association. The Louisiana Department of Education appointed her to various textbook committees, the Basic Skills Commission and the Governor's Committee for Excellence in Education. She completed studies at L.S.U. for the Masters of Education in administration and supervision and subsequently earned 30+ graduate hours in work at McNeese University, University of Southwestern Louisiana and Northwestern University. Joan was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 24, 1927 in the middle of a snow storm. She was the daughter of Melburn Herbert "Bill" Brown and Hazel Carmichael. Her family moved to Abbeville in 1935 where her father was a pioneer in the oil industry working for Loffland Brothers Drilling Contractors. "Jody" married Francis "Rat" Horton Hollier in 1948. She is survived by two children from this marriage: Frank Michael Hollier and his wife Barbara "Seci" Murphy, and Anne Adair Hollier and her life partner Aimee Dominique, three grandchildren: Kristin Ann Engelbrecht and her husband, Stephen, Michael Shannon Hollier and his wife Ashley Koll, and Jennie Adair Hollier, two great grandchildren: Ann Elise Engelbrecht and Jacques Michael Hollier, and a third expected great grandson (Engelbrecht) in December, 2008. Joan's second marriage was to Henry J. Bernard, former Superintendent of Vermilion Parish Schools. Henry and Joan spent many lovely years together, traveling, gardening and bird watching. Joan is survived by brother and sister-in-law, Raymond R. and Janet H. Brown of the Woodlands, Texas. Nephews and nieces: Sandra J. Hodge and Mitchell Hogan Hodge (son) of Seattle, Washington, Steven C and Colleen Brown and Michaels Rae, Kelsey, and Jacob of Omaha, Nebraska, William T. Brown of Los Angeles, California and Mary Anne Wallace of Austin, Texas. We knew her as "Aunt Jody," she was loved by all and we will be comforted by our memories of her life. May her soul rest in peace. . . . . "Uncle Raymond." She was preceded in death by a brother, Donald E. Brown of Lovington, New Mexico. In recent years Joan contributed her time and energy to community service as a volunteer through Christian Service Center in Abbeville, Louisiana. Joan carried out the love of gardening passed on to her from her mother and now passed on to her daughter. She spent many years as an active member of the Delta Daylily Society and loved sharing her love of daylilies with family and friends. The family requests that visiting hours be observed from 4:30 p.m. until 9:00 pm Tuesday, October 7, 2008 and continue Wednesday, October 8, 2008 from 8:00 am until time of services. A rosary will be recited Tuesday (October 7, 2008) at 6:30 pm in the funeral home. Father Kenneth Mayne, Pastor of St. Therese Catholic Church will be celebrant of the mass and conduct the funeral services with concelebrant, the Reverend Hampton Davis. A heartfelt thanks to caregivers: Marilyn, Nita, Louella, Odelia, Hazel, Bernie, Patty, and Gwen. Your unique gifts and care allowed mom to remain at home. Joan was especially grateful to Dr. Charbonnet and his staff for her treatment and care during her illness. The family would especially like to thank Journey Hospice for their caring, and compassionate services provided during Joan's illness.

Buried:
St. Paul Catholic Cemetery

Family/Spouse: Living. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Joan married Francis Horton Hollier in 1948. Francis (son of Herbert Joseph Hollier, Sr. and Idolie Marie LeBlanc) was born on 27 Feb 1924 in Abbeville, Vermilion, Louisiana, USA; died on 30 Jul 1982 in Tyler, Smith, Texas, USA; was buried in Abbeville, Vermilion, Louisiana, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Living
2. Living